Trump Dishonors the Late John Lewis

According to the Hill, President Donald Trump was not planning to visit the Capitol to honor the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). “I won’t be going, no,” Trump said before departing the White House for a trip to North Carolina when asked if he planned to visit the Capitol either Monday or Tuesday to pay his respects to Lewis.

For those who don’t follow American politics, Lewis is a civil rights icon who emerged as a key figure of the civil rights movement, having survived a brutal beating by Alabama state troopers during the 1965 march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery that has become known as “Bloody Sunday.” He died at the age of 80 on July 17 after a months-long battle with cancer.

Reading this story about Trump’s decision not to honor John Lewis by visiting the body as it lays in state at the Capitol, my fingers just started typing the following:

Why Mr. President? “Well, I am doing these amazing things to my white people I don’t wish to offend them by appearing to honor a civil rights icon like John was. I mean, he was the best civil rights champion this country ever had.”

“I can’t attend his viewing to honor him. They love me. I said to myself, why go honor John when I can stay away and have all these adoration from my admirers who love that. They were going to come to the convention in their millions but the China virus has stopped us but we can have millions in attendance.”

But, Sir, the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena can only hold a capacity of 15,000 people? Where will the millions be, especially now that you have been forced to cancel the event?

“I didn’t say millions; I said thousands…[inauble] that’s you fake media saying that. I didn’t say it.” [Several reporters audibly sigh in disbelief]

“I am loved by everyone but you’re not going to report that because you hate me” the president goes on, adding, “I have 96% percent approval among Republicans.”

Sir, you’re citing a poll from months ago and one taken before it became obvious you’re incapable of leading in combating the pandemic…

“No I am the pandemic president; I mean I am fighting this pandemic better than George Washington ever did and better than all generals have in the whole world.”

[Room of press empties out but the president continues on rambling, talking directly to the only one camera remaining–One TV, even Fox News clears out as they can’t take the lies anymore]

Oh, and this was about the legendary John Lewis, even though you can’t tell from the rumbling of the master of dissonance. May the great John Lewis rest in peace.

P.S. The foregoing is a parody, for those who didn’t figure it out.

 

Trump’s Days In Office Are Numbered

I have beautiful places and wildlife screen savers that refresh every day on my various devices. I love them all except once in a long while when I see one that’s neither nor as beautiful. In even more rare occasions, I see one that is awful that I don’t like at all.

 

I just saw one such but I quickly reminded myself it’s only there for today, tomorrow there will be a fresh one, which I’ll enjoy seeing as usual, even when not as beautiful or pleasing as some of the best I have seen.

 

Guess why the man his secretary of state never denied calling a moron came to mind as I thought about that?

 

You’re right!

 

He’s awful and sullying the presidency with selling beans from the Oval Office and all but, like this screensaver I don’t like, he’ll not be there tomorrow and a more pleasing successor will be come January.

 

I know there are those who would look at same screensaver I find unattractive and marvel at how beautiful it is, but most of them will have nothing else to compare it to, not the slew of the most amazing and beautiful ones before and to follow.

 

They are in the minority compared to those who know and would prefer the more beautiful screenshots and if given the opportunity, will advance past this not so attractive one and get to the next which is certain to be more beautiful.

 

We cannot advance November 3rd, but as sure as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, that day will surely come soon and for those God has blessed to make it there, let’s cast our vote that day and even if it is the last thing we do in life, it will make a world of a difference for good or worse of this country; good if you vote for Biden, worse if you vote for the other alternative.

 

Voter Suppression Work in Progress, COVID-19 Numbers Suppression Coming Soon

In perilous times, facts, expertise, and truth are indispensable. President Trump’s flagrant disregard for the truth and his self-aggrandizing exaggerations, specious misstatements, and bald-faced lies have been rigorously documented and debunked since the first day of his presidency by The Washington Post’s Fact Checker staff.

Tomes will be written about the Trump and the disregard of truth by this man whose secretary of state never denied calling a moron. The Washington Post is doing its part tracking and exposing the untruths and lies in the book above and more to come as these are daily occurrences until this man is soon booted out of office.

Don’t get me wrong; the lies won’t stop even after the man whose Chief of Staff also called an idiot is booted out of office, but they won’t be as harmful as they are now.

I have captioned my blog as above because I see a correlation between what Republicans have always done when it comes to voting, namely, making sure blacks and other minorities who support Democrats do not have access to the ballot and the announcement the other day that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be bypassed henceforth in reporting from hospitals across the country on COVID-19 related data, including number of cases reported and deaths.

As for COVID-19, the data being published daily in the media,, including number of deaths from the virus daily is a reminder of how Trump has not only totally failed in providing any leadership to deal with the deadly virus, he is unbelievably actively undermining efforts by the government’s own scientists to combat the pandemic.

As a solution for the latter, namely, evidence of his failures represented by the numbers going the wrong direction for dealing with the pandemic, Trump has ordered that hospitals now send their data to Health and Human Services Department (HHS) under control of his appointee instead of CDC where such data has always been sent until now when Trump wants to hide it from the public if he could (but he can’t) so the next best thing is to make it difficult if not impossible to access it–and that’s what he is doing here.

Reason: so HHS can cook the numbers or at least make it difficult, if not impossible for media to readily and immediately access the data as it’s made available by the hospitals.

Unless this is stopped through court action, reporters will now have to work double or triple harder to access the data and when they do and accurately report, Trump will dismiss it as “fake news,” his moronic or cult-like followers will buy hook, line and sinker and he lives to tell another lie the next day.

That’s his MO.

Fortunately, more and more rational voters who bought this in 2016 have come to their senses and are saying enough of the nonsense as is reflected in current polling.

It’s not over until the proverbial fat lady sings so, keep alert, remain active, and get ready to vote in November to bring an end to this madness.

 

A Speech Trump Could Have Given and Rode To Victory in November But He did Not So Hello Defeat

During a national crisis, we look to our national leaders to provide direction in how to respond. If it is an international crisis such as this pandemic, we still look to our national leaders to provide direction and to also assure a nation all shall be well, despite the crisis

Good leaders do this as second nature; bad or incompetent leaders never do this at all, namely, never provide leadership on how to cope with the crisis, let alone assuring a nation all shall be well despite the crisis.

In the case of the United State, President Donald Trump has not only failed to provide leadership in combating the pandemic that is coronavirus, he has basically punted and instead opted to make things worse by undermining the government’s own experts and what they are saying needs to be done to curb spreading of the pandemic and ultimately make it manageable as any other common disease.

Ironically, providing leadership in combating this pandemic may just be as simple as giving an edifying and inspiring speech for people to (a) understand the seriousness and gravity of the situation and (b) know and understand what their responsibilities are in combating the pandemic.

Trump has failed on both counts.

He has not made it abundantly clear we’re dealing with a major health crisis the country and the world has not seen since the 1918 influenza pandemic caused by H1N1 virus.

Instead, Trump has done the opposite, variously dismissing the pandemic as somewhat of a nuisance wrecking havoc to “his” economy that will “soon” magically go away, even as the number of infections and deaths keep climbing, now more than 138,000 deaths in the US alone and counting.

Worse, when CDC offered specific guidelines to be followed before reopening the economy, Trump and his minions contradicted and undermined the agency in egging on Trump’s cult-like supporters to demand that states reopen “NOW” and not in accordance with CDC’s rational guidelines.

As part of this obviously counter-intuitive and moronic demands, Trump is fully engaged in doublespeak by on the one hand saying he and the country’s renowned expert and head of infectious diseases Dr. Fauci “get along very well,” his minions obviously taking cue from his criticism of the good doctor have gone further in trashing the doctor just because he is telling the truth about what the situation is and what needs to be done.

As I tweeted earlier, coronavirus is Trump’s Iran hostage crisis for Jimmy Carter only he Trump has done nothing about it other than making the pandemic worse in its devastation and deaths for which he shall pay at the polls in November ten times as bad as Carter did.

As evidence of how horribly Trump has mangled and failed to provide leadership in combating COVID-19, the following is a speech not by a fellow G-7 world leader–all of whom have given their own stellar speeches and rallied to effectively combat the deadly virus; no, this is a speech by one of the presidents from the “shithole” countries, namely, Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda:

Ugandan President’s address to his nation.

Uganda President KAGUTA MUSEVENI warns against people misbehaving during this COVID-19 period, “God has a lot of work, He has the whole world to look after. He cannot just be here in Uganda looking after idiots…”.

Below is his reported statement.

“In a war situation, nobody asks anyone to stay indoors. You stay indoors by choice. In fact, if you have a basement, you hide there for as long as hostilities persist.

During a war, you don’t insist on your freedom. You willingly give it up in exchange for survival.

During a war, you don’t complain of hunger. You bear hunger and pray that you live to eat again

During a war, you don’t argue about opening your business. You close your shop (if you have the time), and run for your life. You pray to outlive the war so that you can return to your business (that’s if it has not been looted or destroyed by mortar fire).

During a war, you are thankful to God for seeing another day in the land of the living.

During a war, you don’t worry about your children not going to school. You pray that the government does not forcefully enlist them as soldiers to be trained in the school premises now turned military depot.

The world is currently in a state of war. A war without guns and bullets. A war without human soldiers. A war without borders. A war without cease-fire agreements. A war without a war room. A war without sacred zones.

The army in this war is without mercy. It is without any milk of human kindness. It is indiscriminate – it has no respect for children, women, or places of worship. This army is not interested in spoils of war. It has no intention of regime change. It is not concerned about the rich mineral resources underneath the earth. It is not even interested in religious, ethnic or ideological hegemony. Its ambition has nothing to do with racial superiority. It is an invisible, fleetfooted, and ruthlessly effective army.

Its only agenda is a harvest of death. It is only satiated after turning the world into one big death field. Its capacity to achieve its aim is not in doubt. Without ground, amphibious and aeriel machines, it has bases in almost every country of the world. Its movement is not governed by any war convention or protocol. In short, it is a law unto itself. It is Coronavirus. Also known as COVID-19 (because it announced its destructive presence and intention in the year of our Lord 2019)

Thankfully, this army has a weakness and it can be defeated. It only requires our collective action, discipline and forbearance. COVID-19 cannot survive social and physical distancing. It only thrives when you confront it. It loves to be confronted. It capitulates in the face of collective social and physical distancing. It bows before good personal hygiene. It is helpless when you take your destiny in your own hands by keeping them sanitized as often as possible.

This is not a time to cry about bread and butter like spoilt children. After all, the Holy book tells us that man shall not live by bread alone. Let’s obey and follow the instructions of the authorities. Let’s flatten the COVID-19 curve. Let’s exercise patience. Let’s be our brothers’ keeper. In no time, we shall regain our freedom, enterprise and socializing.”

In the midst of EMERGENCY, we practice urgency of service and the urgency of love for others✨
God bless us all

👏👏👏, the best and most intelligent public speech ever made during Covid-19. 🎩 off to him. SALUTE a great leader.

Now, had Trump given a speech even remotely close to this one by Museveni and coupled that with providing support to states to combat the pandemic, the curve would have likely flattened a long time ago, the number of deaths significantly avoided and Trump would be cruising to victory come November.

He did not and he cannot as it’s too late now so it’s off to defeat he goes!

That, however, requires you to do two things: (1) register to vote, if you haven’t (2) vote in November for the only person who can right this ship and that is Joe Biden.

Of course, you’ll need to be alive then so, do the least and that is to keep safe and do as the experts say we do: wear a mask and exercise social distancing.

 

Of Comets, the Bible and Space Science

A friend posted this on his Facebook page and has prompted me to pen this blog as this is an area I have interest as a hobby. I am addressing this to my friend but sharing here as a musing:

Brother Sang I thought I am the only one from the villages who loves space stuff!

My intro to what’s in the sky was purely accidental. This happened in college when I was trying to get an “easy A” and to comply with certain UMCP graduation requirements so I thought, “why not Astronomy 101; after all, we’ll be out there each night staring at the stars. How hard can that be to get an A?”

Well, I was wrong about that but I enjoyed our studying the stars and got hooked since. Interestingly, however, as an Adventist, there is this conflict with science and religion, especially when it comes to creation so I veer clear of that, even as I enjoy watching endless shows on space.

In other words, when it comes to anything that contradicts our core beliefs as Adventists, or Christians for that matter, I chose to stay with our beliefs but that doesn’t mean I cannot marvel at the science when it comes to space exploration.

That being said, I think I should take a collection and catch a ride to space (what is the fare again?) and view earth from there; that’s got to be phenomenal if what we see in NASA videos are anything to go by.

On second thought, perhaps not; I have such a fear of heights I may just freak-out and not enjoy the view once up that high!

On third thought may be it wouldn’t be any more frightening than viewing the ground from up in the skies on any long distance flight.

One thing astronomers tell us is how vast space is; our Astronomy professor told us our earth is the size of a golf-ball when compared to other objects in the universe and distances I thought he was joking.

He wasn’t; I don’t think most people even bother or even start to comprehend that, which reminds me of what Winston Churchill once told a curator in London who, after showing him all the art at the museum, inquired of the statesman if he understood everything.

Churchill replied noting it had taken him all his life to understand it was not necessary to understand everything!

But it is sometimes fun trying to understand some of these things such as why are we floating around and not knocking each other off space?

Good questions to ask and seek answers in these home-bound COVID-19 era. My suspicion is peoples’ IQ has gone up a notch since the pandemic hit as more people are reading or watching stuff they otherwise wouldn’t.

As the saying goes, there is a silver-lining in everything, even tragedy.

If you have’t found a gift as takeaway from corona, find it now; it just may be as simple as discovering a new hobby like space watching.

 

 

Ruto Cannot Make Up with Uhuru, But Can with Raila–Response to Online Column Comments

In response to my Star column this weekend Ruto Cannot Make Up With Uhuru, But Can with Raila, several comments have been made in various platforms the column appears but I have decided to post a detailed response here to one that appears in the Star itself for the benefit of those who may have the same mistaken beliefs or notions.

The comments are addressed to the individual who posted the comment so I am addressing my response to him or her (their identity is hidden):

You say, “At least you acknowledge he cannot win on his own.”

I did but I am sure not for the same reasons you have in mind. My position is it is possible the system can yet again thuggishly rig-out Raila or Ruto, something they cannot dare do if the two are working together—and that’s my point for the whole argument.

You seem to think Raila cannot win on his own at the ballot and that’s just not true for he can and will, were he to vie with or without Ruto’s backing.

You say, “Still, if the ‘system’ is so powerful, notwithstanding the false claim that it ‘loosened the noose on democracy’ in 2002, why did the same ‘system’ fail to assert and impose Kibaki’s disputed election victory in 2007”

It is not false that the system loosened the noose on democracy in 2002; as I have told others in denial about this or simply not aware, the system considered 2002 as an inhouse dispute as to who should have the presidency so it did NOT matter to them diddly-squat who as to between Kibaki and Uhuru got the presidency; however, were Raila to be the opposition candidate, we would have had Uhuru as president in 2002, not when the system gave it to him in 2013.

That being said, I am also on record having said neither Uhuru nor Raila won the requisite 50%+1 in 2013 and had a re-run been ordered as it should have, Uhuru would have won clean against Raila. Uhuru came so close to Raila’s margins they decided to rig him in in Round I, rather than wait to win clean in Round II.

Those are facts and I know because I was there and knew exactly what happened or what was happening in both camps. For those who follow my blog, this is the election I had a meeting with now Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe the Friday before that Monday’s election and what he told me has always shaped how I analyze Jubilee politics.

You say, “[the system failed] to impose Mudavadi, its preferred candidate, in 2012.”

No need to do a mademoni analysis here suffice to say the system did not fail in anything to do with Mudavadi, who they briefly toyed with having him vie instead of Uhuru but decided to stay with the latter.

Had they stayed with Mudavadi, Raila would have won a landslide bigger than 2007, making it impossible to rig him out for fear of ICC.

Again, they rigged him out against Uhuru because they were close enough.

You say, “the system failed] to assert and impose Uhuru’s August 2017 election which was nullified??”

These are things I have written a dozen legal memorandum about shared privately with those shared with and will publish in my memoirs but, in a nutshell, the reason the system did not dare ignore the Supreme Court’s historic decision is something I and anyone who follows these things closely knows or should know.

Suffice to say there was no chance in hell they were going to take that risk and thus what we had as the outcome.

You say, “The FACTS simply don’t support your bogus ‘system’ argument.”

I am sure you’ve seen by now there is nothing bogus about what I say regarding the system; if not, you’re in denial in which case I cannot help any further.

You say, “The ‘system’ can’t stand up to People power.”

Oh yes they do and always have except in 2002, which I say they heeded to popular vote because the victor was someone they did not mind at all taking over from Moi. In 2007, 2013 and 2017, they give “people power” the middle finger and will do so again with glee in 2022, unless things unfold a certain way, including possibly the scenario I describe in the column.

You say, “…and the winner in 2022 will be the one with the largest coalition of tribal support, simple as that, as it has always been.”

You’re making my point; coalitions win and have won at least 3 times in recent times but only once (2002) did their candidate get sworn in as president.

The only coalition that will beat the system hands-down this time around is one of Raila backed by Ruto.

Raila backed by Uhuru can also win with a split of Gema vote but even in that scenario, the system can still rig in someone else who most certainly will be in the running if the two gentlemen vie separately, unless the system is united in backing Raila.

In the latter case, Raila is sworn as president regardless of what happens at the polls.

Ruto, of course, is out of the question and if he vies and Raila vies, the system’s candidate will be our next president—unless the vote is so overwhelming for one as to not to try and rig, which is doubtful as this will be a three-way race and murky enough for them to steal yet again.

For the avoidance of doubt, if Raila choses not to vie and joins Uhuru in backing someone else, that someone else will win in a landslide and the system cannot do anything wapende wasipende.

In this scenario, the candidate, of course, cannot be a Kikuyu and neither can he be from RV; who that will be is something I believe nobody knows at this time as each player is playing their Option A cards.

Note I am being specific in saying the compromise candidate cannot be a Kikuyu, leaving open the possibility it can be someone other than a Kikuyu from Mt Kenya region with Raila’s blessing.

Again, this is Option C for Raila and not an option for Ruto, unless the candidate is Raila, in which case he (Raila) won’t be a compromise but a practical candidate to serve the tripartite interests (Uhuru, the System–though reluctantly and Ruto).

Right now we are where all parties are playing their Option A cards, and each side is hiding their ace cards though Raila may put his on the table very soon and upend things yet again unless some people decide to play nice.

Uhuru is not in that equation and will be just fine how the cards are played out one way or another and if given a choice between backing Raila or Ruto, he will no question back Raila but we are not there yet.

That, my fellow Kenyans, is what is at stake even as I am typing this so expect a lot of movement of these Chess pieces for a winning strategy to emerge notwithstanding BBI, which everyone can use to their advantage.

 

Claims Hydroxychloroquine Works; Does It?

I have a Greek-American business associate and friend who is 70 yrs old and he and I hardly ever talk about anything other than business.

This morning he called me, which was unusual because we only talk in the afternoon and from the get-go, he was very animated, which was uncharacteristic of him, especially that early in the morning.

My friend was so excited talking and as proof, I have a headache because he was talking so loud and breathlessly so for almost 30 minutes nonstop! Worse, I was in the middle of something and usually I would have told him I will call him back, but I couldn’t in this case as he was just too animated to even find space to say that!

And what was he telling me?

1, that hydroxychloroquine works; 2, all these companies that are racing to find a vaccine don’t want the public to know, 3, Dr. Fauci and others are in it to make money, 4, that this is why Trump has tried to have people take the medicine and (e) as proof the medicine works, friends of his who are a married couple and same age as him (70) had COVID-19 symptoms; they called a doctor who is also a relative and asked what they should do, he said to take hydroxychloroquine but their family doctor told them not to take the medicine.

The wife listened to the first doctor and took the medicine, the husband took the family doctor’s advise and refused to take the medicine.

He died but the wife survived and has recovered.

Now, some of the things my friend was telling me about vaccine race being a race to make a killing I have heard, ditto Dr. Fauci being part of that but I have tended to dismiss all as conspiracy theories not based in any reality.

I have also stayed away from following with any detail all this bombardment with information regarding COVID-19, preferring to just do as the experts say to keep myself and our family safe–and yes, that includes wearing a mask and social distancing.

In fact, my suspicion is even long after COVID-19 is gone, people will not want to be touchy-touchy and breathing and sneezing ovyo ovyo (randomly) in others’ faces!

Be that as it may, my friend was so adamant that I must spread the word about hydroxychloroquine to save lives at least those of family and friends and the way he is breathlessly telling me this, I said I better share this just in case!

He also shared a link to this video by Dr. Zelenko that he insisted I must watch but told him I would have to watch it later as I was and still am very busy.

That being said, FDA cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to risk of heart rhythm problems

Disclaimer: I am in no way endorsing or saying hydroxychloroquine is a cure to COVID-19 or that anyone should take it; just sharing the information my friend has asked that I share and as usual, always consult your doctor before taking any medicine.

 

Wear A Mask; It’s the Common Sense Thing To Do

Just before COVID-19 picked up steam, a business colleague of mine were away on travel and arrived in Kenya the day before things got progressively worse and the government declared mandatory quarantine of 14 days for everyone arriving in the country from that day on.

We were not subject to the mandatory quarantine, but we nonetheless self-quarantined for that period and cut short our trip to return to the US as we were told we may not be able to leave once all flights in and out of the country were stopped as they are and this happened the day after we departed. 

The usually busy hotel we stayed, had about 10 guests by the time we were checking out and interestingly, we all became like family as we kept running into each other at all eating times. 

Of even more interest, most of the remaining guests were Chinese and a couple had recently arrived from China so suddenly we found ourselves wondering, did they have the virus? Are we exposed? 

There was no way of knowing so we did all the necessary and as advised by medical experts: wash hands, sanitize, sanitize everything from door knobs to literally anything you can touch and so on.

We were, however, not wearing masks as this had not become obvious and essential as it is now. We knew we would have to wear them on the way back but since we were in self-quarantine and taking the other precautions, we figured it was not necessary.

On the day before we left, I had a chat with the Chinese gentleman and he told me what China was doing to contain the virus, especially in Wuhan province where the virus originated. What he told me was also what we had seen and read in the news and that is, military style operations where residents were literally locked in their residences with exit doors and gates welded shut!

“That’s how you contain and get rid of the virus,” my now new friend told me, adding, “but this can only be done in a country like China; in your country [meaning the US] that is not possible!”

What he was saying, and he was right, is the very unfettered freedoms and rights American enjoy will be the reason the virus cannot be contained and will unnecessarily kill people as it is.

Yes, you have the right and can demand to roam free in the streets and other public places without wearing a mask as the new leader of this “live or die free” is encouraging the unthinking and blindly following to do, but you have no right to infect others with the disease or in further spreading it.

Wear a mask when you are in public, especially in confined places where you cannot socially distance yourself!

If you’d rather die than wear a mask, then just commit suicide.

I know it is imprudent to say that but it makes more sense than refusing to wear a mask for no good reason other than perhaps because Trump says don’t do it, which makes it even less sensical and verges on the absurd and moronic of which we know there is no shortage but this is about life and death.

I know some are pointing to the Bible to say wearing of masks is not necessary as God will protect you but such is what is unjustifiably imprudent; you cannot shoot yourself in the head and expect God to stop you from dying.

Besides, especially in consideration of those most vulnerable such as older people and those with medical conditions, God clearly instructs us all in Mathew 22:39 to love and care for them as we love and care for ourselves.

Again, it may just be the case one doesn’t care about themselves to the extent they would want to wander around without masks, but that’s when you hold them accountable by voting out the accidental president who is encouraging this deadly behavior!